


The Last Goodbye

by WriteThisWayMaam



Category: Mayans M.C. (TV), Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Angst, Family Issues, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21554116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteThisWayMaam/pseuds/WriteThisWayMaam
Summary: Marcus reunites with his estranged wife and daughter only to find out that some mistakes can be forgotten, but never forgiven.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	The Last Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> This does not really follow a particular timeline of the show, but refers to events that have happened in both SOA and Mayans.

Tessa sat quietly, holding her mother's hand. Her mother was crying, hysterical. She begged to see her husband. She begged to see her son. She didn't understand why they weren't here with her. She was hurt. She was mad. She was terrified. Alzheimer's was like a rabid coyote. Picking apart the flesh and leaving a hollow version of the person who once was. Tessa had no words for her mother. There was no way to reason and no way to comfort a woman who couldn't remember what led her to this moment. There was nothing she could do short of breaking every rule she had made for herself. Tessa wiped the tears from her mother's face as she wept and paged the nurse. She needed to make a phone call.

It was a late Saturday night, and Bishop was nursing a whiskey as the boys blew off some steam. His phone buzzed in his vest pocket, and the caller ID showed a number he didn’t recognize, "Hello?"

"Obispo?" the voice was hesitant.

"Tessa?" Bishop sat up straighter and Tank turned abruptly with a questioning look on his face, "Are you okay?"

Tessa sighed trying to hold back tears, "I need your help." 

Bishop motioned his head to Tank, and they headed into chapel closing the doors behind them.

"Who's Tessa?" EZ asked. 

Coco exhaled a smoke ring, before saying, "There are some things that are just way above our pay grade, hermano." 

Angel echoed his sentiment, "Yeah, that phone call is only going to lead to trouble. Trust me." 

Angel and Coco walked away to go back to the party, while EZ kept restocking the bar with Chucky. "El Padrino, Marcus Alvarez, has a daughter, Tessa, but they haven't talked in years after the whole Esai thing," Chucky offered EZ another crate. 

"Who's Esai?" questioned EZ. 

"Marcus' son. The one he agreed to let SAMCRO kill as a peace offering. Tessa and her mother left after the funeral." Chucky said as he headed back to the storage closet.

EZ stared after him before resuming stocking the shelves. 

It was no surprise when Bishop and Tank emerged from Chapel, grabbed Tazo, and headed out to an unknown location without much word to anyone else. 

\--------

Emily Galindo was hoping for a quiet night at home with her family, but while she and Miguel sat on the floor playing with Cristobal, the door bell rang, and she knew that her hopes were probably dashed. Especially, when the three elder members of the motorcycle club were there looking for Marcus. As they quietly discussed something amongst themselves, Emily gathered Cristobal in her arms, kissed his heads, and headed off to his nursery.

"Primo," Bishop greeted Marcus, "Tessa called me tonight."

"Tessa? Is everything okay?" Marcus brow furrowed. 

Tank interjected, "Gloria's health has declined. Late stage Alzheimer's. The way Tess describes it is that she has lost a lot of the past, while living in it, and she is confused most of the time."

"Gloria's asking for you, primo," Bishop placed his hand on his cousin's shoulder.

Tazo spoke, "Tessa thinks that maybe if you come it will help Gloria's soul be ready to leave from this world to the next one." 

The air left Marcus' lungs, as he tried to process everything. He looked at Miguel, "Of course, you should leave as soon as possible, " Miguel agreed, "take whatever resources you need." 

After grabbing a few things, Marcus got into the back of a black SUV that pulled onto the highway surrounded by motorcycles. He closed his eyes. He wasn't sure where this road was going to end up taking him, but he had a feeling it was going to hurt like hell. 

\---------

A long winding driveway lined with cattle pastures where the sunken stomachs and hooked long horns could be seen meandering in search of an approvable area to graze, led to a spacious white stoned ranch house. As the cars and motorcycles pulled into the circular drive, a woman stepped out onto the front porch. Her long dark hair had the wild wave of someone who had spent too much time running their fingers through it. She wore an oversized sweater and ripped black jeans, and her feet were bare. She leaned against the porch post, crossing her ankles and her arms. Bishop approached her first, arms outstretched for a hug, "Hola, princesa." 

She broke the hug quickly, wiping her eyes and readjusting her dark rimmed glasses. "Hola, its been a long ride. There is food in the kitchen, and the guest rooms are made up if anyone needs to rest."

The small crowd split as Marcus approached. Tessa's arms crossed back over her chest. They assessed one another with the same dark and calculating eyes. While Tessa had elements of her mother's beauty, her coloring and mannerisms were a deafening echo of her father's much to her chagrin. Marcus made to say something first, but Tessa cut him off, "I'll take you to mama, if you're ready now."

She didn't wait for an answer as she turned and walked through the open door. Marcus and Bishop exchanged looks, and they followed her inside. The house had a fairly open floor plan, the entry way connecting into the kitchen and a living area. The kitchen counters were lined with appetizers and a bucket of iced drinks. "Make yourself at home gentlemen," Tessa motioned to towards the kitchen as she turned down an hallway that led past a formal dining room and office. She made a left and headed toward the back of a house stopping short of the doorway, "Before we go in, did Obispo explain about her condition? That she doesn't remember things? That the past and the present get all blurred for her?"

"Si, " Marcus looked intently.

"So if she begins to not make sense or starts to get upset, don't try to argue or reason with her. It will only agitate her more, "she started to open the door but stopped short, "also, if she mentions Esai just say he'll be here soon, and don't get emotional in front of her. It will only upset her more."

With that Tessa opened the door. A nurse sat reading a book next to a hospital bed. There were monitors and machines, beeping. It looked like a hospital room, except for the warm coloring of the room and an entire wall made of windows showing the majestic landscape of desert and mountains. "Mama, " Tessa walked over to the bed placing her hand on her mother's shoulder, "there is someone here to see you." 

Her mother's blank stare slowly morphed into a smile, "Are you a new nurse? Oh my, you are so beautiful. Your hair reminds me of my daughter's. She and her brother, Esai, went out to play, but I am sure they will be back soon." 

Tessa reached for her mother's hand and kissed her palm before bringing it to her cheek, "We have met before, but its okay that you don't remember me, mama. Because right now, there is someone here to see you."

Marcus shuffled forward. There on the bed, was the woman he had spent most of his youth and adult life loving. The woman who had agreed to marry him despite her father saying he was no good. The woman who gave him two beautiful children. Her stare remained blank at it met his, her eyes searching his face expectantly, until something click, a small spark of memory ignited, and her eyes became bright with tears, "Mi Amor. You have finally returned to me." 

She held out her hands to him, and without hesitation, he walked up to sit on the side of her bed. Her hands cupped his face, as she cried in delight, "It has been too long, mi vida. I have missed you so much." 

"I have missed you, too, preciosa." Marcus held her hands to his face. Not breaking eye contact until he heard the click of the door. Tessa had gone. 

Tessa walked back down the hallway heading toward the kitchen but stopped suddenly to lean against the wall. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, a myriad of emotions boiling over. Strong arms encased her from behind, turning her and bringing her head to rest on a leather covered chest. She clung to Bishop as her body shook with sobs. When she finally got control of herself, she pulled back wiping her face, "Sorry, I'm a mess. I guess I forgot, too. What it was like before…." 

Before her father killed her brother. Before her father chose the club over his family. Before her father broke their hearts. Bishop looked at her with a pained and worried expression. Marcus was his cousin, his mentor, and the club was his life, but he understood Gloria and Tessa leaving. The club life was a difficult path to navigate, especially for the women who loved these outlaw bikers. He pulled Tessa back in for a quick hug and a peck on the top of her head, "You don't have to apologize. I love you like you were my own daughter, princesa. And I know that going through this alone can't be easy, and that reaching out like you did wasn't easy either. Now come on, let's go get a drink. Tank and Taz want to say hi."

They headed back into the kitchen where Tessa was quickly enveloped into separate bear hugs from Taz and Tank. Tank even lifted her up off her feet, to which she giggled, "Don’t throw out your back, old man. I am not as young and skinny as a I used to be!"

They talked, laughed, ate, and drank like time had never passed. Tessa hadn’t felt this much at home in a very long time until a large crash was heard from the back of the house. Tessa sprinted to her mother's room. A vase was shattered on the floor, with flowers floating in a small puddle of water and glass. Her mother screamed, "WHERE IS HE MARCUS? WHERE IS MY SON? WHY ARE YOU HIDING HIM FROM ME? YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME! WE MADE A PROMISE ON OUR WEDDING DAY TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER! YET, YOU TAKE MY BABY FROM ME? BRING HIM HOME, MARCUS! ESAI NEEDS ME! HE NEEDS HIS MOTHER!" she sobbed as she hit Marcus over and over again.

Marcus stood like a statue. Taking every hit from Gloria. One right after another. The disease had made her feeble. The punches and slaps barely made an impact, but he would take the worse torture from Hobart all over again not to feel this pain. 

"Mama," Tessa ran to her mother as she and the nurse each grabbed an arm to restrain her. The nurse digging into the bedside drawer for a needle, "Mama, I promise you will see Esai again. He's on a trip, remember? He went on a long trip," the nurse injected the sedative into Gloria's arm, "but, he'll be back soon. He wants to see you again. He wants you to go with him this time, mama. He never wants to leave you again," Tessa kept talk as her mother’s anguished sobs slowly began to quiet. 

"He wants to see me," Gloria repeated, "He'll come for me soon." 

"Yes," Tessa whispered tearfully, "He loves you so much, mama. We both do."

"Oh, my beautiful, Tessa. I missed you so much," Gloria pet Tessa's hair. 

"I missed you, too, mama. I missed you, too." Tessa said with tears running down her cheek. 

"Your father is here! Did you know? He wants to marry me. My father says no, but we are going leave Mexico. We are going to go to America and get married and have the most beautiful life, isn't that right, mi amor?"

"That's right, mi cariño" said Marcus, "we had the most beautiful life." 

The full effects of the sedative finally overtook Gloria, and she drifted off to sleep. 

"Do you want me to call the doctor?" the nurse asked. 

Tessa still silently crying, shook her head no. There was nothing else they could do, but wait for the end. 

\-----  
Three days later, Gloria whispered her beloved son's name one more time before taking her final breath. Marcus holding her left hand. Tessa holding her right. Marcus quietly reached for his daughter's other hand, but she pulled it away, "Please leave me alone with her," Tessa said without meeting his gaze. 

When the coroner and funeral home officials came to take Gloria's body, Tessa emerged from the bedroom following her mother's corpse until it was placed in the back of the hearse. She turned back toward the house, to the men of her past, her face splotchy and eyes red-rimmed, she looked at Bishop. "You all are welcome to stay until morning, but then I would like you to go home." 

Tank was the first to protest, saying they could help with funeral arrangements, but Tessa silenced them, "I took care of my mother myself. Her funeral is already planned and paid for. I appreciate you coming, but I need to finish this on my own." Then she grabbed a bottle of Tequila and headed toward her bedroom. 

The next morning as Marcus and the others got ready to depart, Tessa came out of her bedroom. She was freshly showered, in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. She looked tired and small, but also determined. She walked up to the Mayans, the men of her past, and gave each of them a hug farewell. "Are you sure you’re okay?" Bishop asked. "We could stay, and help you, or you could come back with us for a while."

"I'm going to be okay, Obispo. I promise you that, "she hugged him again, "Thank you so much for everything."

"Of course, Princesa. I am only a phone call away if you ever need anything," He reassured his, stepping back towards his bike as Marcus approached. 

"Mija--" Marcus began, but Tessa interrupted him again. 

"Stop. I want to say thank you for coming. Thank you for being there when Mama needed you. It was a great comfort to her in the end, " Tessa kicked the dirt. 

"Mija, I loved your mother very much. I love you, too." Marcus stepped closer, but Tessa took a step back.

"Don't," she held out her hands defensively, "mama may have forgotten the past, but I haven't. I can't. I don't want your love. I don't want you. You are nothing to me. My brother and mother are dead. My family is dead. Go back where you belong El Padrino. You have no family here." Tessa walked back into the house closing the door behind her. 

Marcus climbed back into the back seat of the black SUV and let the pain overwhelm him as he silently wept.


End file.
